Insight Alumni eNews – December 2021

2021 was undoubtedly a year of many challenges and changes, but it was also a year of great achievement.

Like many sectors, disruption and adaptation is our new constant, which has led us to ask ourselves important questions. How can we meet a potential future of “education on demand” and high-quality student outcomes? How can we deliver with agility, scale and efficiency to sustain our broader endeavours including research? We may not have all the answers to these questions, but we know that our journey ahead will require collaboration with our alumni and industry. 

For example, as we look to transform the way we deliver mining engineering education, our new partnership with Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd will prepare the next generation of mining engineers for ‘industry 4.0.’ This partnership will allow us to drive the expansion of digital technology education in mining engineering, while endeavouring to increase Australia’s supply of skilled mining professionals.

We have also been able to celebrate our ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre in Bioplastics and Biocomposites, which will build Queensland’s Australia’s capacity in chemical and materials engineering for the new eco-materials industries. By aligning industry, government and other universities, we have the potential to transform our existing plastics industry, and become a major global bioplastics player within the next decade.

Our alumni are also playing a crucial role in supporting areas of importance for us at UQ, like our Women in Engineering Alumni Ambassador Council. As many of you will be aware, we established our Women in Engineering Program in 2013 to change the gender balance of women in engineering. Many of our young alumni represent this new generation who are creating change for a better world. 

The most noticeable addition to our St Lucia campus this year has been the completion of the Andrew N. Liveris Building. The new home of the School of Chemical Engineering, the Liveris Academy and the Dow Centre is named in recognition of a philanthropic donation by Andrew and his wife Paula, and has already provided so much to our community. We have grown the Liveris Academy to nurture over 40 bright young students who benefit from learning opportunities outside of the curriculum, as well as connections to global business leaders, Nobel Laureates, and researchers. These connections have extended across the University and to every corner of the globe, realising the potential of the digital age and providing UQ students and alumni with unique opportunities. 

All of these examples, and many more that I haven’t mentioned, started with a conversation between people who recognise education and progress go hand in hand. 

I want to thank you for everything that you have contributed to our UQ community in this extraordinary year. I wish you a safe and happy holiday season and I look forward to connecting with you in 2022.

Thank you,

Vicki